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J. HOCH BOX Filed July 22, 1953 sept. 2s, 1956 United States Patent O BOX .'ohn Hoch, Milwaukee, Wis., assiguor to Braun Hob er Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application July 22, 1953, Serial No. 369,569

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-4) This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to containers which comprise two separable molded sections which are identical so that the sections may be made from a single mold.

The invention provides a container made of two identical, close-fitting halves wherein the length of the paths of ingress into the container at the junction of the container halves is large to minimize the entry of deleterious substances, such as dust, etc., into the container.

Briefly, the two sections of the container of the present invention are in telescopic relationship substantially around the entire perimeter of the container. The telescoping portion of each container section is made of two complementary parts which interengage with the complementary portions of the other container section. A scarf joint is provided extending around the entire perimeter of the container, with the outer surfaces of the container sections meeting in a smooth junction. The container preferably has flat sides at right angles to one another to afford compactness for storage. The sections are held together both by the friction of the telescoping portions thereof and also by auxiliary locking means comprising complementary nibs and recesses formed in the mutually abutting surfaces of the sections.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon making reference to the specification to follow and the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a container embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, transverse cross-section taken along section line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal, longitudinal cross-section taken along section line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a vertical, longitudinal cross-section of the container, taken along section line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical, transverse cross-section of the con.- tainer, taken along section line 5-5 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the container sections of the invention.

In the description to follow, the container of the invention will be described assuming the orientation illustrated in the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the container may have any orientation, the references to top and bottom being used merely for the purpose of simplifying the description and the claiming of the invention.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the views.

The container of the invention comprises two identical molded sections of thermo plastic or thermo setting or rubber material, namely a top section 2 and a bottom section 4. One suitable plastic material is polystyrene. The two sections are in telescopic relation over a narrow band 6 extending around the container sections. The outer faces of the container are smooth even at the joints 3 between the sections, and are at right angles to one another.

Mice

The bottom section 4 has a bottom rectangular wall 8 and four rectangular side walls 10 extending vertically upward from the edges of the bottom wall 8. The top end of the side walls 10 which are in telescopic relation with the bottom end of the side walls 10 of the upper section 2 include a pair of transversely aligned vertical slits 12 located midway between a pair of opposite sides 10. On one side of the slits 12 the walls are olfset inwardly from the outermost face of the side walls 10 to form offset wall portions 13 and a horizontal shoulder 14 extending about one-half of the container section. The inner faces of the half of the container including olfset wall portions 13 are substantially smooth except for a pair of vertical projections 22 mounted at corresponding portions on opposite sides of the container section. Projections 22 cooperate with articles to be housed in the container to retain said articles in place within the container.

Located adjacent to the slits 12 in the opposite outer face of the oiset wall portions 13 are circular recesses 18 which receive nibs 20 on the inner faces of the top section 2 to retain the two container sections together. The recesses 18 are in horizontal alignment and are spaced an equal amount from the slits 12.

On the other side of the slits 12 are wall portions 24 which are offset from the innermost faces of the container section 4 to provide a horizontally extending shoulder 26 extending about one-half the inner face of the container section. The width of the shoulder 26 is equal to the thickness of the offset wall portions 13. Likewise, the width of the shoulder 14, previously described, is equal to the thickness of the wall portions 24. On the inner face of the offset wall portion 24 opposite the slits 12 are inwardly extending, circular nibs 20 which engage complementary recesses 18 in the upper container section 2. The nibs 20 are in horizontal alignment with the recesses 18 and are spaced the same distance from the slits 12 as are the recesses 18.

The top section 2, taken alone, is identical with the bottomsection 4, just described, and the parts thereof are numbered identically with the corresponding parts of the bottom section 4 just described. The top section 2 will not therefore be separately described.

AEach container section is thus comprised of two complementary halves which are defined by slits 12 which separate the two complementary halves.

When assembled, the open ends of the two sections are in opposed, reversed relationship so that the offset wall portions 13 of each section, which are offset inwardly from the outermost faces thereof, are respectvely in telescopic relationship with the portions 24 which are offset inwardly from the innermost faces of the container sections. In this position, the edges of the side walls of the container sections abut the horizontal shoulders 14 and 26 respectively. Since the offset wall portions 13 and 24 are offset an amount equal to the thickness of the f contiguous offset portions of the adjacent section, the junction between the sections on the outer and inner faces of the sections are smooth and unbroken. A scarf joint is thus formed between the sections. The recesses 18 receive, respectively, the nibs 20 to maintain the two container sections in fixed relationship. The resiliency of the polystyrene walls of the container sections enable the container sections to be readily disassembled or assembled. The frictional engagement between the telescoping wall portions also aid in securing the sections together.

The two container sections are in close-fitting telescopic relationship about the entire perimeter thereof. The length of the path of ingress into the container is therefore large, thereby diminishing the possibility of dust or other undesirable particles entering the container.

It should be understood that numerous modifications may be made of the specic preferred embodiment above described without deviating from the broader, more generic aspects of the invention.

I claim:

-1. A container comprising two identical, separable, resilient sections which are in telescopic relationship with complementary portions thereof, the portions of each section whiehare in telescopic relationship with each other having one-half thereof offset inwardly from the adjacentfouter-face thereof and the other half being offset outwardly from the adjacent inner face thereof, slits located midway between the ends of opposed walls thereof and separating saidtwo offset halves, and means for locking saidsections together compriisng a pair of sockets and a pair Yof .complementary nibs in each container section, one of saidnibs and sockets of each section being contiguous to and similarly located on opposite sides of one of the slits in `each section and the other nib and socket of each section being contiguous to and similarly located on opposite sides ofthe other slit in each section, whereby an inward pressure on the opposite sides of a box section adjacent to the inwardly offset wall portion thereof will readily disengage the adjacent nibs and sockets thereof.

2. A container comprising two identical, separable, flexible, resilient, molded plastic sections tting together in mutual telescopic .relationship and forming a smooth surfaced container where the outer and inner surfaces of the container sections are ush with one another, the .portion of each container section which confronts the other` being open and the walls of each section dening the i:perimeter of the opening terminating in the same transverse plane of the section, opposing walls of each container section being slitted transversely midway between the ends of said walls from points extending from the edge of the walls at the associated container opening and terminating in the same transverse plane spaced from said external shoulder also being in said second mentioned transverse plane, and means for locking said sections together comprising a pair of sockets and a pair of complementary nibs in each container section, one of said nibs and sockets of each section being formed in the oifset wall portions of the container which are to face the corresponding interfitting portion of the other section and contiguous to and similarly located on opposite sides of one of the slits of each section, and the other nib and socket of each section being identically located adjacent to the other slit of the associated section, whereby an inward pressure applied on opposite sides of a container section adjacent to the slits will readily flex the container section involved and disengage adajacent nibs and sockets thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,369,965 Harris Feb. 20, 1945 2,401,598 WOOd .Tune 4, 1946 2,460,957 Whitfield Feb. 8, 1949 2,625,292 Spender Jan. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,965 Great Britain 1913 

